Junior Food Systems Specialists

Job Description - Junior Food Systems Specialists (2502783)

Job Description

Job Posting: 25/Nov/2025

Closure Date: 09/Dec/2025, 10:59:00 PM

Organizational Unit: OSG

Job Type: Non-staff opportunities - Consultant

Primary

Location:

Italy-Rome

Duration:
From 3 to 11 months (with possibility of extension)

Post Number: N/A

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.

Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;

Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values

FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO's commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting
The UN Food Systems Summit (hereinafter UNFSS), held during the 2021 UN General Assembly, set the stage for global food systems transformation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Under the leadership of the Secretary-General, the FSS made it clear that transformative action in food systems is fundamental to achieving the SDGs. As a follow up to the Summit, the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) has committed the UN system to establish a UN Food Systems Coordination Hub (hereafter the Hub) to support countries implementing food system transformation pathways towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.

The Hub is hosted by FAO in Rome on behalf of the UN System.

The Hub has a coordinating and connector role drawing on the capacities of the UN system and leveraging on the advice and expertise from a wider ecosystem of support, serving countries, by incentivizing existing institutions to deliver on their mandates in a systemic way. Based on this background, the Biennial Work Plan  of the Hub is structured along an evolving version of the six key functions adopted for the  Work Plan recomposed into five coordination clusters:

Landing the Vision - Overarching Cluster

Policy and Governance Cluster

Science and Knowledge Cluster

Strategic Partnerships and Collaboration Cluster

Finance and Investment Cluster

In line with its mandate, the Hub coordinates country-level initiatives to support the implementation of National Pathways. In close collaboration with UN Resident Coordinator Offices and UN Country Teams, the Hub facilitates through a range of flagship programmes technical support to advance the implementation of National Food Systems Transformation Pathways, and strengthen the capacity of National Convenors. The Joint SDG Fund Food Systems Window focuses on the delivery of National Pathway priorities through integrated UN programing, catalyzing innovative solutions, and unlocking larger scale financing and private sector investments, and strengthening the enabling environment (policies, institutions and capacities).

Another initiative is the project "Accelerating Food Systems Transformation through a Scalable Success Model" (SSM), financed by the European Union, which strengthens the capacity of national institutions and structures that are driving national food systems transformation processes, contributing to the operationalization and implementation of food systems transformation agendas, as outlined in national pathways or corresponding national strategies and policies.

The purpose of this call is to provide the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub with a list of qualified candidates for a number of profiles with different technical specializations as indicated below. The contract can be home based with required travel for field missions.

Reporting Lines
The Food…